Bhubaneswar: A total of 387 persons have been arrested for witchcraft practices over the last five years, as informed by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in the state assembly on Monday.
In a written reply to a question from Jeypore MLA and senior Congress leader Tara Prasad Bahinipati, CM Majhi stated that under the Odisha Prevention of Witch Hunting Act, 2013, 62 cases were registered in 2024 related to witchcraft practices, leading to the arrest of 48 people in connection with these cases.
In 2023, 70 cases were reported under the same Act, resulting in 44 arrests.
The data from previous years is as follows:
- 2022: 89 arrests
- 2021: 102 arrests
- 2020: 104 arrests
The detailed data for 2020, 2021, and 2022 is provided below:
